Achieving a golf swing that is both correct and consistent is a challenge even for professional golfers. A golf swing requires the precise coordination of many physical movements, all needing to be performed at a specific time during the swing in order for the golfer to properly impact the ball. After being struck by a golf club, a golf ball's trajectory is affected by two major issues: the position of the shaft at impact and the position of the club face at impact. It is well known among golfers that the club face should be square at impact to accurately strike the ball. For example, a club face that is slightly open at impact will cause the ball to slice. A club face that is slightly closed at impact will cause the ball to fade. The position of the shaft at impact determines the whether the golfer hits the ball “fat” or “tops” the ball. When the shaft is forward leaning on impact, the club face's momentum is better transferred to the ball, producing a more reproducible and accurate shot.
There are several devices designed to improve the golf swing through resistance training. For example, the use of extensible tethers is known to train the upper body muscles for making a golf swing. Another example is a handle attached to a cable weight machine that allows a golfer to exercise both the back and forward swing and golf grip. PGA Manufacturing, LLC's POWERSTROKE device is a handle that can be attached to resistance bands in order to train the muscles required in the down swing and back swing. Momentus Golf's Power Plane Swing System uses a resistance band attached to the top end of a golf club in order to train the muscles. Relevant information for many of these devices may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,537,184; 7,074,131; 6,592,474; 7,399,232; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2001/0031684.
Rather than just providing resistance training, some embodiments of the golf performance aid apparatus and related methods can help a user to precisely tune the smaller nuances in the swing that affect the position of the club head and shaft at the point of impacting a golf ball. Some embodiments of the invention will train the user to place the shaft in a forward leaning position and square the club head at impact. Some embodiments will also allow the golfer to carry the apparatus to the golf course and take practice swings with the apparatus in order to reinforce the proper movements before taking an actual stroke at a golf ball.